Coffee and Provocation

Online Dog Training?

Sure, why not?  Isn't that what Barbara Woodhouse did, and Cesar Millan still does?  Oh, you want interaction?  Fine then, go to the list-servs and blogs and... Oh, you want it online, interactive and personal?  Fine.  Click here then.

Camera Trap, The Movie:

Chris Wemmer is the star of Trapped, a camera trap movie made by Emily Narrow who is pursuing an MFA in Science and Natural History Filmmaking at Montana State.  Check it out!  Chris and I went digging once when he came down to this neck of the woods to see his daughter, and he used to run the endangered species breeding farm of the National Zoo out in the Shenandoah valley.  His blog is wonderful!

Unclear on the Concept:
A poacher in South Africa has stolen the horn of a fiberglass rhino sculpture at a game park.

Cordwood Dog Kennel?

I am thinking that would be awesome.

Why Travon Martin Was Shot by George Zimmerman:

Gun's don't kill people.... people with guns kill people.  Or, to put it another more scientific way, Gun-toting  increases the bias to see guns toted.

Driving Faster on Thin Ice, Straight Towards the Apocalypse:

Is human impact accelerating out of control?  Yep.  Damn straight.  What the hell do you think I have been yelling about for the last 35 years.

A Hunting Year:

A very nice slide show of a hunt in Ireland with a very rich soundtrack on top.  Hat tip to the Full Cry blog.

I Would Have Hired This Guy:

And if you ever get a letter like this, you should too.

In the Land of Drill Baby Drill:

In Canada, they're drilling for oil from Newfoundland to Alberta, but it does not matter a damn, because the price of oil is set on the international market, and refinery costs and taxes are the only swing.  The price of a gallon of gas in Canada right now?   How about $5.23 a gallon in U.S. dollars.

They're Building the Clock:

A while back I wrote about the 10,000 year clock and losing a title (first!) to Ten Danson.  For those who wonder about the clock (all two of you!) it is being built right now by the Long Now Foundation of which Long Bets is a subsidiary, and it was recently mentioned on NPR.

With Coffee, Size Matters:

How about a  61-Oz insulated Thermos Bottle for your coffee?  Seems like a necessity to me, and it's only $28 and even comes with a shoulder strap.  Fill it up at the house, and you are good to go for a while.  It will certainly save money over time.

Good Times Ahead?

The stock market volatility index is lower than it has been in five years, a very good thing, as the Dow is also over 13,000.

Small is Beautiful:

Who needs a "Tiny House" when you can live in a Gypsy wagon?  Welcome to the first mobile homes, pikey-style (or Traveler, Gypsy, or Roma style, if you prefer. If you want your homes less mobile, how about a grain bin cabin?  Or go for the Full Monty of grain bin homes with the big one.  Very cool.

Flatter Than a Pancake, and Smoother Than a Billiard Ball:

Did you know that the earth is smoother than a billiard ball?   This is true, as is the fact that Kansas really is flatter than a pancake.

Born for Porn?

Are we built for porn?  Seriously, maybe not.  Check out this TED lecture where we learn that it's novelty, not nudity, that gets us going, and that yes the damn thing can break.  As for "the  Coolidge Effect," it's named for a very good joke told by (and about) former President Calvin Coolidge.

Communication With a Punch:

Need an I-phone case?  This is the one that will make them remember you.

A New American Entrepreneur:

At Dulles Airport, just 20 minutes up the road from my house, they caught a woman who was smuggling 180 thumb-sized balloons of heroin inside her, with a combined weight of 4 pounds, 12 ounces.  That's a lot of smack!

Screw Money:

In most Swedish cities, public buses don't accept cash and tickets are prepaid or purchased with a cell phone text message.  In Canada, they have just killed off the penny.